Overall Murals effectively uses Seattle weather to enhance its activation
By Amber Larkins, OOH Today
When you think of Seattle, you might think of rain. But for Seattle residents, Ore-Ida fries are now top of mind, thanks to a recent handpaint campaign by Overall Murals.
The project transformed an 800-square-foot wallscape at Pike Place Market into a captivating display. Kraft Heinz aimed to promote Ore-Ida with a mural that revealed hidden text when exposed to rainwater.
The “Deliciously Predictable” campaign featured simple text, “Our Fries will be Crispy and Fluffy Every Time.” But, when it rains, more words are revealed above the original text, acknowledging the weather change, “As Sure As It Rains In Seattle.”
View this post on Instagram
Overall Murals had never worked with rain-activated paint before and found little evidence that anyone else had either. The closest example was a sidewalk in Japan. This led them to explore various paint manufacturers and ultimately decide on a foreign hydro-paint initially meant for printing rather than painting. Scaling up their test area to a 40-foot-tall mural required careful consideration of environmental factors, including surface texture, application methods, and sun exposure.
Shaye Alviene, Creative Production Specialist at Overall Murals, conducted extensive research but found no similar projects, except for a sidewalk in Japan. “We had to start our research from scratch,” Shaye said. “The paint we used becomes transparent when wet, revealing the message behind it.”
The team conducted extensive tests, exploring different application methods and layering techniques to optimize the paint’s reaction to water. They discovered the ideal number of coats and drying time, ensuring the mural would revert to its original state when dry.
The final product blended creativity and engineering for a cohesive finished product. The mural invited viewers in the city’s busiest area to watch the message unveil and disappear as the weather changed.
“When Overall Murals was tasked with this project for Ore-Ida, we wanted to do something different,” said Scott Burdick, VP of Sales, who managed the account. “This was Ore-Ida’s first brand campaign in a while, and Seattle was a key market.”
The client wanted a creative approach that leveraged Seattle’s rainy reputation. “Brands always ask us to come up with crazy, out-of-the-box ideas,” Burdick said. “The rain idea was unique and had never been done before for a mural.”
Scaling this concept from a test wall to a 40-foot mural while considering outdoor elements was challenging. However, the effort paid off. “Kraft Heinz considers it a success and buzzworthy,” Burdick said. “Our agency partners and clients are very happy with it.”
Since its public reveal, the mural has garnered significant attention. “We’ve been getting comments and questions left and right,” Burdick said. Clients are curious about the process and potential for rain-activated paints, opening minds to more creative possibilities within out-of-home advertising.
Overall Murals frequently receives out-of-the-box requests and uses its paint lab to test activations. It says it is always open to new ideas but emphasizes the importance of lead times for feasibility testing.
As sure as it rains in Seattle and Ore-Ida, fries remain crispy, and unique and interesting out-of-home activations like this mural captivate audiences.
- Advertisement -
